Sand and Snow
by AwakeningEden
Summary: After a disastrous snowball fight, Bolin tries to lifts Korra's spirits through an unusual bending technique.


"C'mon, Bolin!" Korra slid across the snow and threw another snowball across the courtyard, nearly hitting Mako's shoulder. "I need my teammate ready and revving any second now!"

"Korra, I'm an earthbender," Bolin reminded her, hastily throwing snowballs together as Korra defended their fort. He had enough pressure with Mako and Asami's snowball moving deep into their territory and slamming against the makeshift fort and his back. Korra's insistence wasn't making him feel any better. "Snow isn't my thing."

"Yeah, but you've played in the snow be –" she was cut off as snowball hit her in the chest. Asami's pleasant laugh was closer than it was a few minutes ago and Mako's sounded closer still.

"You might want to pay attention, Korra," Asami called out, "Or you two won't be able to hold us off soon."

Korra growled and hastily retrieved the remaining snowballs Bolin had prepared. "Just make more, okay? I got this."

"But Korra, we both have too…" his voice trailed as she scrambled towards the couple, shoving snowballs at them at an alarming rate.

Bolin sighed and continued his hasty work on another set of snowballs. The snow had come down heavy last night and they wouldn't be able to go patrolling in the city until the streets were plowed. So to past the time, Korra had insisted to a snowball fight and Mako had insisted if they were going to do this, it was going to be bending-less. Mako and Asami were naturally a team (Bolin noticing the pout she threw at their backs as they built their fort) which left the two "together alone" on the other side.

Korra wasn't having as much fun as he had expected. He could only imagine it had to do with the way Mako and Asami were flirting and complimenting each other, throwing quick, knowing glances at the other when they seemed sure Bolin and Korra weren't looking. It was hard to deal with, he was sure it was, but then again it was hard for him as well. He still wasn't over her, not yet. Might not ever be entirely over her. He really just wanted to her friend through all of this but Bolin felt Korra might see it in another light. The one thing he had going for him right now was her friendship. Bolin couldn't give that away.

So, he stood silent as Korra's body seemed to itch and ache for Mako's touch and as her eyes longed for the same light tender kisses and caresses Asami received from him. He would stay out of it this time around. Best for all of them, he was sure.

"Bolin, behind you!" Korra's yelp snapped him out of his thoughts and he whipped around only to be straight in the face by a rather packed snowball. His face stung of cold and his vision blurred.

"Mako, you didn't have to do that!" Asami said and he heard her light footsteps rush to his side. Bolin rubbed his eyes as she knelt down beside him, taking a handkerchief from her pocket and handing it to him. "Are you okay, Bolin?"

"Yeah, I am," Bolin smiled, cheeks stinging at the action. He wiped his face and turned his attention to his two teammates. Mako was smirking at Korra while the Avatar huffed and crossed her arms.

"You need to learn better team skills, Korra," Mako advised, "You two should have alternated or you should have realized that you're much more adept in making snowballs, coming from the South Pole and all."

"I don't need advice from you, Team Captain," Korra narrowed her eyes. "You two just got lucky."

"Man, what does it take to admit that you've lost?" Mako asked, his smile softening.

Korra's posture unexpectedly slacked and her hold on her chest tightened. Her eyes grew weary and she turned her head from Mako. "You're right. I lost. Sh – You guys won. I'm sorry."

Mako blinked, confused, and Korra scrambled past him, Asami, and Bolin and towards the beach.

"Wait, Korra – " Mako looked as though he was going to chase her, but he stayed in the same spot, one of his hands stretched out towards her. He withdrew it and scratched his head, turning to his brother and girlfriend. "What did I say now?"

Asami frowned and stood up, "I'm not sure….Korra just isn't use to losing, I think. She'll be fine."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Mako's voice was quiet and Bolin held off the sudden urge to tell him off. It would be okay if Bolin knew that Mako was just a concerned friend, but he knew better now. His brother's voice was laced with a tenderness that had been reserved for all the girls he had crushed on and seen before. He used it with Asami as well. Using it on Korra though, after everything that had happened within the last week …Bolin's throat grew tight.

"I'm going to check up on her," Bolin said as he stood up and jogged in her general direction, unconcerned with his brother's protests. This wasn't about Mako and Korra or Bolin and Korra. It was just about her and only her.

Bolin found her near the edge of the shore, curled up in the ball and staring out into the ocean. The beach was dusted with snow, the sand peeking out and glittering against it.

"Korra," his voice was gentle as he approached her. She didn't look up and she made no indication as to whether she wanted him to stay or go. So, Bolin stayed and sat beside her, stretching his legs against the sand and perching himself up with his elbows. They stood there in silence for a few minutes and Bolin took a few deep breaths of the salty ocean. "I'm sorry for costing us the match."

"It's okay," she replied flatly, the grip on her knees tightening, "It my fault, really. I shouldn't have tried to done all myself. I mean, it takes teamwork, right? I shouldn't have expected less…I just don't like losing…"

"Is that why you ran over here then?" Bolin knew the answer, but he asked it anyway. "Because we lost?"

"No," Korra surprised him. "It's not?"

"Why then?" Bolin didn't want to prod too much but he had been waiting for this….for her to let it all out….

"You know why," was Korra's only response.

"Oh," Bolin felt weak and decided it was best to leave her alone. It wasn't his place to ask her anymore, about her feelings. Especially if she wasn't willing to give him a chance at being her friend. "Okay then."

He stood up and turned to leave, his body heavy and his feet dragging across the snow and sand. Had it not been for the soft sigh that escaped her lips as he walked away, he might have been able to pull away from her that very day. Might have escaped these emotions that boiled within him every time she laughed or smiled in his direction. He might have. That day.

But she sighed, and he was pulled into her once more. Like Tui to La. Like Oma to Shu.

"Hey, look Korra!" he plastered a wide grin to his face and stretched out his arms. "I'm a waterbender!"

As Korra turned around, a skeptical crease across her forehead, Bolin planted his feet and, with careful concentration, shot the sand out of the air, the snow jumping along right with it. With quick movements, he twisted the sand around the snow as it floated back down and twirled around his waist before he made it travel to Korra. "See? I'm bending the snow!"

Korra's giggle almost broke his hold on the sand, but he clenched his fists further, more than eager to keep her face bright and happy. "Well, look at that! Perhaps there is another Avatar out there after all!"

She stood up and continued to giggle as Bolin twisted the sand and snow around Korra's legs, waist and shoulders, watching her as the smile on her face continued to grow. "Where did you learn to do this, Bolin?"

"Just now," Bolin replied, sweat brimming his forehead. It was taking an exceptional amount of concentration. He was inexperienced with bending sand and had never attempted to try capture other elements with it. But Korra drove him to try new things, to better himself. He would learn metalbending just to craft roses and polar-bear dogs if it would make her shine and laugh and just be happy, like he always wanted her to be. "Kind of hard to keep it up right now, actually."

"Here, let me try," Korra offered and she went into a similar stance. She took the sand and snow that was wrapped close to her body and shot it up towards the ocean. Bolin relaxed his body as Korra played with the spiral of sand and snow, laughing and jumping and thriving the whole time. All Bolin could do was smile and go "oh, wow, nice one!" or "you really are a natural, Korra!" as she continued on in her exploits towards the new trick.

"That was amazing!" Korra said as she finally plopped the sand and snow back into the shoreline. She walked up towards him and gave him a warm smile, "Thank you so much for showing me that, Bo. "

"Anytime, Korra," Bolin smiled back. "I think it might be time for dinner. You want to go check it out?"

"Sure, I'm famished!" Korra exclaimed and without warning, looped one of her arms with Bolin's. "Lead the way, mighty dual-bender."

"Dual-bender, huh?" Bolin tried his best to hide the nervousness in his voice or suppress the blush in his cheeks, but he knew he was already failing miserably, his breath hitching at the mere clothed contact. "I like the sound of that. Bolin: the mighty dual-bender! Watch as snow and sand become one and the same, sand castles cased in ice, ice sculptures sprinkled in sand. Truly, a legend amongst all benders, Avatars included!"

"Okay, we get it," Korra shoved her shoulder into his. "You're awesome."

"And you're awesome-er," he replied, giving her a quick wink.

In another surprise, Korra shied her eyes away from him, and a light blush graced her cheeks. "Thanks, Bo. That means a lot."

And as they made their way to the dining hall, Bolin's mind buzzed with adrenaline and his thoughts wandered off to their date a week beforehand, the way she laughed and smiled.

Maybe, just maybe…he wasn't a lost cause after all.

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I haven't written Borra in awhile (and I'm still trying to finish my Borrlok fic) so this is might be a little OOC. I tried keeping it as in-character as possible, as it takes placed during episode 8. Hopefully, you guys enjoyed it enough.


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